'Formula for calculating fee is unscientific'

The district administration held a meeting with the representatives of aided and unaided schools with regard to implementation of Right to Education Act and to ensure adherence of admission rules laid down by the Department of Public Instruction, on Monday.

Presiding over the meeting Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda said that the schools have been given  circular with regard to schedule of admission, fees collection etc, on December 8, 2011, which should be followed strictly without fail. 

However, opposing the circular the participants at the meet said that the formula provided by the Department based on which the admission fee can be collected is unscientific.

“We run schools facing several problems. We have to provide good infrastructure facilities to students, pay salary to teachers, maintain the school building and the premises. All this incurs huge expenses. The fees prescribed by the department is totally unscientific because with this calculation we will not even be able to meet the salary expenses of the teaching staff,” said Dakshina Kannada and Udupi English Medium Schools’ Association representative Mohommad Beary adding that running a school anyways is more of a social service because the proprietors do not get any returns.

He further said that though RTE has excluded minority institution from its purview, in the district there are many minority run institutions, which have not been recognised as minority institutions. He said that there is a need to give recognition to these institutions. The Deputy Commissioner  said that a recommendation will be made to the Government in this regard.